Picnic Social
Rotary International Peace Plaza
President Dean Casperson guarantees it will be 84 degrees and sunny. There is no program. This is pure Rotary Fellowship. A box lunch and beverages will be provided. Bring your own chair. Some picnic tables (with appropriate social distancing) are available. Come and explore the Rotary Peace Plaza which Club #25 made possible.
Join us!
President Michelle Buria called to order our last Rotary Zoom meeting (for now) as we plan to gather next week in person at our summer picnic and then return to our meetings at the Holiday Inn. Past Assistant Governor Phil Strom gave us the Rotary Reflection as he recalled his childhood of living in a small house with his parents and six siblings in a house clearly not big enough for nine people. One year, when they lost their crop to hail, he and his younger brother were given the chore of picking up the hail to make ice cream. His Father’s looking on the bright side has been an inspiration to Phil his whole life.
With the changing of the guard, President Michelle Buria recognized outgoing Directors Dan Dock, Jenna Evans, and Robin Pestalozzi. Secretary Jeff Bradt and Past President Steve Yorde will also be completing their terms on the board. Continuing Directors are Paul Helstrom, Catherine Carter Huber, and Karol Sowers and Treasurer David Nolle. President Michelle Buria gave her final motivational moment: “never regret a day in your life” and thanked us for all of the memories. President Michelle Buria then administered the oath of office to incoming President Dean Casperson. President Dean Casperson then administered the oaths of office to President Elect Chana Stocke, Secretary Eric Dott, and Directors Elizabeth Simonson, Branden Robinson and Traci Marciniak.
Chair of the Day, Tricia Bunten, introduced Chancellor Lendley Black who provided a history of UMD and the role the City played in the University’s creation.
UMD started as the Duluth Normal School in 1895, although it almost did not happen. The bill introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature to create the Normal School was championed by Senator Herbert Spencer. It faced a lot of opposition in the Senate as many felt teachers could get trained in other Normal schools across the state. However, many of the 600 teachers in Duluth were going to other states, as far away as Maine, to get their training, so clearly there was a need. Eventually, the bill passed on March 12, 1895. While the bill authorized the Duluth Normal School, no funding was provided for buildings nor for faculty. An appropriation bill for $10,000 was presented in the Senate, but it was defeated. In the meantime the City donated a six acre site to the State for the Normal School, the Old Main site on 5th Street between 22nd and 23rd Avenues East. Eventually, in 1896, $75,000 was appropriated for the Duluth Normal School. The first classes started on September 22, 1902 and the first graduating class was in 1903. Duluth rallied behind the Normal School despite fierce opposition. The citizens fought hard for it demonstrating the grit and determination of those who live in the Northland. Normal Schools contributed greatly to the education of women. In 1921, the Duluth Normal School became the Duluth State Teachers College and started offering its first Bachelor’s degrees. In 1947, the Duluth State Teachers College became the University of Minnesota Duluth. Today, UMD is a comprehensive state university campus with an enrollment of 10,858 students, offering 93 undergraduate degrees and more than 20 graduate degrees. 84% of UMD’s students come from Minnesota and 69% of UMD alumni work in Minnesota. There are over 80,000 UMD Alumni all over the globe and many are Club 25 Rotarians.
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